James Cropper has unveiled cutting-edge facilities at its plant.
The papermaker, based in Burneside, near Kendal, has installed an energy-efficient boiler and an embossing hall equipped with Formula 1-inspired technology.
The occasion, which coincided with the company’s annual general meeting, was attended by Sir James Cropper; former Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria and honorary president of James Cropper plc, which was founded by his great-great grandfather James Cropper in 1845.
Delivered earlier this year under police escort, the energy-efficient 18-tonne Byworth Yorkshireman boiler is well-equipped to handle a wide range of energy demands, delivering improved control over energy consumption across the site while maintaining high efficiency standards.
Its installation aligns with James Cropper’s robust decarbonisation roadmap with progress already being made towards cutting natural gas usage by 25 per cent by 2025 and achieving net zero by 2050 across the entire supply chain.
Steve Adams. James Cropper CEO, said: “As consumers increasingly seek planet-friendly solutions, James Cropper remains committed to achieving net zero through technology transformation, moving from fossil energy sources and developing products from sustainable sources.
“Our dedication to sustainability is also underpinned by plans to build a new Energy Centre which will transition the papermaking processes to green electricity, resulting in a significant reduction in carbon emissions.”
The firm’s Embossing Centre of Excellence, featuring Formula 1-inspired optical 3D metrology technology. The system scans hundreds of thousands of measurement points in just five seconds elevates the quality control process for textured paper production.
The purpose-built embossing hall also includes a new embosser varnisher and a laboratory for monitoring and measuring equipment. It will allow James Cropper to meet growing customer demand for alternatives to plastic which maintain surface aesthetics and functional characteristics.
The new embosser varnisher will provide best in class service for high volume business whilst the existing fleet of embossing machines tackle the shorter run, bespoke patterns with greater agility and flexibility.
Mr Adams added: “Whether it’s bespoke embossing or varnishing for effect or technical performance, we are driven by the creativity of our clients and embrace every challenge. The capacity and capability improvements which this investment will bring to our business are significant, allowing us to respond to the demand that we’re seeing from our customers.”
